Santa Ana, CA — An attorney representing Phil Bacerra has asked the Orange County District Attorney and Grand Jury to investigate the residency fraud case against Roman Reyna, a candidate for City Council in Ward 4 in Santa Ana.

In a letter sent to the DA’s office on August 29th, Mark Rosen, attorney for Mr. Bacerra, asks that the District Attorney and the Grand Jury investigate the alleged residency fraud of Roman Reyna. The letter cites official documents that Roman Reyna is in blatant violation of the residency requirements of the Santa Ana City Charter. See the letter here.

“The evidence shows that Mr Reyna was not a resident of Ward 4, and wasn’t at the time of filing, nor had he established residency within 30 days, as required by the City Charter,” Attorney Mark Rosen said in a statement. “Public Records, voter registration forms, and Reyna’s own words over text exchange with the City Clerk, show in plain language that he does not live in Ward 4, and in fact, doesn’t know where Ward 4 is in the City. This is an urgent matter that requires an immediate investigation.”

Mr. Bacerra first approached this matter by filing a petition for writ of mandate in the Orange County Superior Court. Rather than defending Reyna’s residency, city clerk Maria Huizar and candidate Reyna took the position that the City Council, not the Superior Court, has jurisdiction over the qualifications of city councilmembers. Due to the political divisions in the City of Santa Ana, the City can’t be counted on to take any kind of action. The responsibility falls to the Grand Jury and the District Attorney.

The Charter of the City of Santa Ana requires that a resident must live in the Ward they wish to run in for 30 days prior to pulling papers.